A spot in the FA Cup fifth round will be up for grabs on Sunday when Aston Villa host Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park in a mouthwatering fixture.
The Villans opened up their FA campaign with a 2-1 win over West Ham United shortly after the turn of the year. They have had a full week to train after suffering a 2-0 defeat to West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.
On the other hand, Spurs were eliminated from the Carabao Cup semi-finals by Liverpool, who overcame the first-leg deficit to win 4-1 on aggregate on Thursday evening. Ange Postecoglou’s side, who beat non-league side Tamworth FC 3-0 in the FA Cup third round, will be seeking to avoid a second elimination from cup competition in the span of four days.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the key battles on the pitch.
#Son Heung-min vs Ezri Konsa
Son Heung-min has endured a poor campaign with Tottenham. The extremely reliable South Korean’s powers are declining and that is visible on the pitch, yet he remains the club’s captain and should lead the attack in the injury setback to Richarlison.
The 32-year-old will be up against Ezri Konsa, who should marshal Villa’s backline in Tyrone Mings’ injury absence. The Villa defender has been a consistent performer in recent years, and he will be raring to keep Son quiet throughout the game. This will be an interesting battle.
#Marcus Rashford vs Pedro Porro
Marcus Rashford will be desperate to prove himself at the highest level after securing a loan move to Villa from Manchester United in the winter window. And the Man United loanee could even be handed a start following Ollie Watkins’ unavailability.
Unai Emery could use Rashford from his favoured position on the left in a 4-2-3-1 system, with fellow January recruit Donyell Malen leading the attack in Watkins’ injury absence. With his pace and directness, the England international could problems to the leaky Spurs defence. This could be a worry for Pedro Porro, who is expected to start at right-back on Sunday.
The Spanish full-back likes to drift infield and contribute to Tottenham building up their attacks centrally, which could leave acres of spaces for Rashford to exploit. Villa may look to play on the break against Spurs and a quick through ball or ball over the top could catch Pedro and co. off guard, which is something Villa’s January recruit can capitalise on.
#Morgan Rogers vs Rodrigo Bentancur
Morgan Rogers has been Villa’s best player this season. With 10 goals and five assists in all competitions, the 22-year-old has become one of the division’s most dangerous players. The England international is in great form and could cause all sorts of problems for Tottenham’s defence.
Operating from a No.10 role, Rogers will be up against Rodrigo Bentancur, who endured a tough outing in midfield in the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in midweek. The Spurs midfielder has to be at his best to contain an in-form Rogers while dictating the play from a deeper position.
All in all, whoever wins this battle could have a big say in the outcome of the FA Cup tie.
